Rain Delay - A McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: A little reminiscing for Steve and Catherine about a broken down car, a cabin and a lot of rain ...


_Sammy started the quotes so I'm adding one…_

 _Sammy & Ilna:_

" _Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."_

― _Anaïs Nin_

 _REALMcRollers - We appreciate every word of your reviews and feedback and every bit of the support and love you show REAL Steve & Cath. Thank you!_

* * *

 **Rain Delay**

"How was the drive?" Catherine asked as Danny entered the bullpen. Grace had had a competition on the North Shore the previous day.

"Other than one of the cars breaking down? Not bad."

"Oh no, you should have called us."

He smiled at Catherine's look of concern. "Thanks, it was fine. We had four other drivers. We each took an extra kid and we made it to the competition in plenty of time."

"As long as you weren't stranded. The kids would have been so disappointed."

Steve entered and nodded at his partner. "Who was stranded? Why didn't you call us?"

"Because it was fine. Thanks, Babe, but we made it and they came in second." He grinned.

"Second?" Steve's brows knitted. "Gracie okay?"

"Grace is thrilled. She's not you." Danny laughed with a head shake. "They got a trophy. All is right with the world. And we weren't stuck in the jungle overnight. Which again, I'm sure would be a walk in the park for you."

Steve crossed his arms with a smirk. "Wouldn't be first time."

"Of course it wouldn't."

"We had a rental break down once, it kinda turned out to be fun." Catherine smiled.

"You were together?" Danny chuckled. "Say no more."

Steve nodded. "Yeah, on leave. We got stuck between an airport and hotel in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia."

"What's in Yarmouth?"

"Not much. We were passing through."

"And you got stuck?"

"Spent the night in a cabin Cath spotted. If she didn't, we'd have been in the car. It was pouring and …" He glanced at Catherine who was smiling.

"It really was fun, actually. There was a stove, we built a fire and we had duffels with supplies. There was even food and a bed."

Catherine caught Danny's eyes and grinned knowingly at his look while Steve barked a laugh at his partner's, "And there it is. Of course you had fun."

* * *

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Definitely the drive shaft." Steve slid out from under the rental car. "We're here till first light." He wiped his hands on his uniform pants_ _._ _"Town is still about three clicks ahead." He glanced up at the threatening-looking clouds and back at her. "It's gonna pour and it'll be dark in thirty minutes. We should sleep in the car and set out first thing." He stood and_ _shook his head._ _"I'm sorry, Cath."_

" _Sorry for what?" Her hands went to her hips. "Steve McGarrett, did you sabotage the drive shaft to trap us in the woods instead of a hotel with a king sized bed?" She shook her head and smiled. "C'mon, I saw a cabin about ten minutes' walk back." She opened the passenger door and grabbed her duffel while Steve walked around and did the same and they began the hike to where she'd spotted shelter._

 _As they reached the structure, it proved to be a small hunting cabin, but it was clean and dry inside with no leaks and a solid floor._

 _Going into mission mode, they first made sure it was structurally safe and secure before dropping their bags on the table in the center of the single room._

 _They'd nearly outrun the rain, but had gotten caught in the beginning of what was now a downpour. Removing her wet jacket, Catherine hung it over one of the home-built chairs and squatted before the pot bellied stove in the center of the wall as Steve secured the windows, but her eyes followed him hungrily before she returned to her task. She'd arrived a day before and had gotten the rental to pick him up at the air strip. They'd headed immediately back to the hotel, impatient to be alone, but the car had broken down between the air base and town. After three months apart, they hadn't even stopped for food in their haste to be together._

" _I'll start a fire." She stood to take wood and kindling from the bin in the corner before setting it into the stove._

" _I'll do that." Steve pulled waterproof matches from his bag and joined her. "You're shivering, Catherine. Get the wet clothes off."_

" _I'm fine." She made a grabbing gesture towards the matches._

 _He lifted his chin. "_ Catherine _."_

"Steve _. Matches. I'm fine."_

" _You're obstinate, Rollins." He passed her the match container._

" _Pot - kettle, McGarrett. And_ you _should take_ those _wet clothes off," Catherine teased but her eyes and smile were soft. She knew he really was concerned if she was cold. "Besides, I'm counting on you to warm me up."_

 _His smile matched hers, even as his eyes roamed her body. "Assignment accepted, Lieutenant."_

" _Excellent. There," she announced triumphantly, raising her arms over her head when a flame leapt to life. "Fire started, windows secured. Well oiled machine, as usual. Now, clothes off, Commander."_

 _He got down on his haunches to kiss her, and she returned the kiss, gently at first, but the feel of his lips on hers ignited a fire. Catherine mewled as he groaned softly and she used her free hand to pull his head closer. Threading her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, she enjoyed the kiss for a full minute before they pulled back panting. They blinked at each other and Steve pecked her lips softly, running his thumb over her cheek before he reached for his bag._

" _I've gotta clean up first. I'm filthy, Cath. I was looking forward to an actual shower after being in transit for fifteen hours then under a car, but ..." He pulled out a pack of wipes. She knew he didn't want to be with her covered in exhaust, travel dust and now grease and she frankly didn't mind, but smiled when he held up them up. "I've got enough for both of us to use 'em in the morning, too."_

 _She waved him off. "Got something better." She reached around and pulled a bar out of her own bag._

" _You have soap?" He grinned._

" _I have soap." Her eyes glistened with mirth as she held it out. "I wasn't in-country and I started leave yesterday, remember? Some of my stuff is back at the hotel, but I'm happy my duffel was in the car." She was pulling her T-shirt over her head. "No running water in here but," she tilted her chin towards the door as she pointed out the window to the rain, "plenty out there."_

" _You," he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, "are the best."_

 _Her eyes looked darker as they dilated. "Wanna wash my back, Commander?"_

" _More than anything." He pulled her into a passionate kiss. When they broke for air, his voice was rough and low, "_ Almost _anything."_

" _Then what'cha waiting for?" She gestured towards the secluded cabin's door, which opened to a partially uncovered porch. "Might as well make use of the rain delay. Strip down and hit the showers."_

 _He grinned, and in seconds flat dropped his clothes in a heap, stopping to look at her quizzically when she stood in her bra and panties rummaging through her bag. "You're not coming with me?"_

 _His fake pout made her laugh. "Of course. But I brought you something, I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave it in the car."_

 _He moved back to embrace her, his hands roaming from her shoulders, down her back to her butt while humming, "A surprise?" against her skin._

" _Yep. But let's go before we lose the light. I'll show you later." She took his hand and the lead, pulling him out onto the porch and into the rain._

 _As soon as they were outside, Steve spun her to face him and pulled her flush against his body._

 _She ran her hands up his chest and down his back. "God, you feel good," she murmured while hitching one leg around his hip, trying to get closer still. Whenever they came back together after a separation, she felt she could never get him close enough. "I missed you. Missed us."_

" _Catherine." Her name was almost a sigh, and the way he said it made her whimper. "Missed_ you _."_

 _His mouth never leaving hers, Steve reached a hand out, intending to ease them up against the cabin wall so Catherine wouldn't crash into it, but when she impatiently attempted to tug him with her and gain the leverage of the building, he kept her from backing up._

" _Hmmmm, what're you doing? C'mere," she moaned._

" _No, Cath, the wood's … mmmf … too rough ... your back."_

" _Damn, okay." She spun them towards a porch bench and pulled away, causing both to moan at the loss of contact. Wait, one second." She darted through the door and came back with a towel, flung it on the seat and held up the bar of unscented, biodegradable soap before placing it on the railing. "Forgot this. For after." She smiled, but her laugh was swallowed up when Steve dove at her lips. Lifting her effortlessly, his hands slid around to her butt and the nape of her neck as her legs went around his waist._

 _By the time they reached the bench that was two long steps away, they were already so lost in the moment, Catherine couldn't decipher where she ended and Steve began._

* * *

 _She raised her head from his shoulder and looked in Steve's eyes. Still panting, she kissed him languidly, whispering, "We gotta wash off, light's fading, Commander."_

" _Not sure I can stand." He teased her lips even as he lifted her so they could get up. Pushing her wet hair off her face he said, "That was … you're incredible."_

 _She stood on slightly shaky legs and braced herself against him for a moment. "Mmmhmm, so are you." They'd had sex in the shower plenty of times, but a outside in the rain was a first. "The rain was kinda fun."_

" _We should keep a list." He grinned as he picked up the soap and, working up a lather, began to slide his hands over her body in the fading light._

 _Ten minutes later, they were back inside and Steve was securing the door as Catherine checked the cabinet. "I have a couple energy bars, but there's soup here and … ohh yum, about twenty cans of hearty beef stew." She held one up. "We can leave a note and money, I'm sure it'll be okay if we use one - oh ... " She pulled a piece of paper from under the row of cans. "The owner lets friends and family use this place. There's a note in the food cabinet." She read aloud,_

'Help yourselves. Season's about done and we're headed back to the mainland. Anything here is left over and too heavy to carry back on the flight. Please clean up after yourselves and leave enough in the money box to cover what you eat so we can restock the cabinet for guests in the spring.

\- Bill and Bill Jr.'"

" _Perfect," Steve said. "We can open two, I haven't eaten since yesterday. The rain barrel out front is enough to clean any cooking gear and I've got two liters of drinking water. What about you?"_

" _I have a liter. We're good till we hike to town tomorrow morning." She pulled panties, jeans and a t-shirt in addition a blanket out of her bag, and Steve tossed her a thinsulate one from his._

 _Along with the small table and chairs, cabinet and stove, the 400 square foot cabin had a double bed and a set of bunk beds. With their supplies they would be sufficiently comfortable. They'd both slept in far, far less agreeable conditions. This was warm, dry, had an actual bed, and they were together, which improved any situation a thousand fold._

 _Nodding at the clothes she'd pulled out Steve grinned. "Don't really need to put those on. I'll keep you warm, remember?"_

 _Her eyes ran over his naked form and she smiled. "I'm counting on it. The clothes are for tomorrow." She smirked at the way his eyes lit. "But first, I'm starving, too. If you heat up that stew I'll get the bed together. We can eat there before we get otherwise occupied. And I can show you your surprise."_

" _Excellent plan, Lieutenant." He moved to grab the can and a pot. "Always love your strategies."_

* * *

 **Present**

Catherine and Steve shared a smile as he explained, "We hiked out to town the next morning. The weather was great."

"And we spent the rest of the leave in a beautiful hotel. We even went back to Prince Edward Island again and stayed at a beautiful little B&B a few months later."

"I've been to P.E.I.," Danny said. "Rachel and I took Grace when she was about three. Angela and Sal wanted Francesca to see the Anne of Green Gables farm and we all went. Grace loved the barn. I couldn't get her away from the animals." His smile was contagious. "She wanted to keep the cow when she heard it was a Jersey cow."

Catherine grinned. "That's Grace."

"We didn't see too much of …" Steve began but his partner's pained look stopped him and he smirked.

"Stop, Steven." Danny shook his head but his look was teasing. "I'm going to HPD to escort Escobar. I'll be back in a couple of hours. "You two," he pointed, "feel free to reminisce the second I'm gone," with a wave he left the bullpen.

Steve leaned closer and whispered to Catherine, "That's a good idea, maybe we _reminisce_ as soon as we get home?"

"Maybe I can dig up some of that same surprise …"

"One of my favorite ones." His eyes lit.

"Then you're on, Commander." Her smile grew. "I was just thinking I'd make some beef stew tonight …"

 _# End thanks for reading._

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